


No One Else To Blame

by sparkinside (boomersoonerash)



Series: 52 Weeks of Stories [49]
Category: Hanson (Band), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Accidents, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Arguing, Canonical Character Death, Child Loss, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Death, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Married Couple, Married Life, Miscarriage, Modern Era, Older Man/Younger Woman, Pregnancy, Timestamp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 20:36:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9565280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomersoonerash/pseuds/sparkinside
Summary: Avery and Daryl suffer major losses that may hurt their marriage.





	

March 8, 2016

Avery nervously sat on the closed toilet lid at the trailer. It had been two months soon to be three months since she and Daryl had started trying for a baby and while they hadn't had luck yet..or well not luck in the months that she took a test which was January and one at the start of February but she had hope that today may have been the day where she found out that she was pregnant.

All the symptoms from when she had been pregnant with Hunter where there. She had been getting sick the past five days though this time it was more of an all day sickness opposed to it clearing up by dinner time and she was tired lately.

Just physically run down. More so than having to chase after a three year old run down. Not to mention her period was late. Two weeks late and just like before she had gotten back to being like clockwork so she was never late. So a part of Avery knew in her gut that the test would come back positive.

Would have been surprised if it didn't come back positive. Which meant if she were pregnant now then they'd be having another baby by December and it'd be nice. To have a baby by the end of the year. A second child to help complete the family they already had for themselves.

A baby that they both very much wanted now. Hell Daryl was already talking about all the ways they could decorate the nursery in the new house which was coming along nicely. His ideas for the nursery consisting of trucks and tractors because of course in his mind if she got pregnant again then it would be another boy. Would have to be because it was a Dixon and all they seemed to have were boys.

Avery was convinced there was still hope she could have a girl. She was twenty-five soon to be twenty-six. She still had a few good years to have another baby after the second...if Daryl wanted that of course. He was older than her and it wasn't like he had asked for this life with her as his wife or even Hunter being born.

But fate had given it to him and luckily for her he had fallen in love with her along the way and she had fallen for him and now here they were three years later, trying for another baby because he had been the one who wanted it. So maybe she should always just leave the decision up to him in the end.

Trust that he'd know when or if he was ready for another baby after they had a second one.

Hearing the timer that she had set go off, Avery reached for the pregnancy test and a smile formed on her lips as she read the words staring back at her.

She was pregnant and having a baby. She and Daryl had finally made the second baby they had been trying to have.

Smiling more she stood up from the toilet and put the test in the pocket of her jeans. Knowing she'd have to tell Daryl later tonight when they were both home from work. But right now she had to hurry and finish getting ready because Sophia would be here soon to baby-sit Hunter and after she got here she'd have to leave or she'd be late for work.

There was no way she could be late again when she'd already been late twice this week thanks to being sick from what she now knew and had always sort of suspected was morning sickness.

***

Standing behind the counter at the bakery, Avery raised an amused eyebrow as she looked at Brandon. He was a new hire here and usually he was the one who worked with her on the days that Paul had off. Though most of the time she half dreaded those days because it was no secret to anyone that Brandon had a crush on her.

He was always flirting with her and most days she'd be annoyed but maybe it was the fact that she had just found out she was pregnant but today Avery wasn't so annoyed. She'd even found it amusing. The way he kept running lines on her.

Maybe had even called her beautiful once or twice tonight which made her blush before playfully smiling and apparently Brandon noticed the change in her. Decided to be bolder because he had asked her to go out with him to dinner after their shift at the diner across the street.

"You know I have a husband right?" Avery asked him with a slight laugh. "He'd kill you right now if he knew you even asked me out to dinner."

Brandon smirked as he shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not afraid of that redneck piece of..." he started but stopped when Avery gave him a glare knowing where his words were going. "I'm not afraid of your husband," he finally spoke though even with his change of words the smirk he had stayed. "So what do you say? We have dinner together and I show you how a real man treats a lady like yourself."

Avery laughed again as she shook her head, "I think I'm going to decline your offer," she told him with a smile that she hoped he didn't read too much into. "I just don't think it'd be good to have dinner with someone who clearly wants me when I'm married and I have a husband who loves me and who I made vows with. Vows that I meant," she nodded knowing that even though she hadn't admitted to Daryl that she loved him until after their wedding she had very much meant all the vows she had taken that day at the altar.

Vows that she felt could or would be compromised slightly if she went to dinner with a man who blatantly wanted her.

"Your loss then Avery," Brandon told her as his smirk fell some but there was still an air of confidence about him. Like he still felt that he could have her in the end.

Regardless of her not wanting him but she was thankful that after her rejection that things between them fell silent for the remainder of the work day.

The only time they talked was once when she had answered the phone and had to relay information for an order to him so that he could get started making the cupcakes for Lori Grimes' baby shower because somehow she was already pregnant with baby number three after having Judith just a few month prior to Avery having Hunter and despite rumors that Judith was Sheriff Grimes' partner's baby he had stuck by his wife and now they were having a third baby.

Though everyone seemed to be having babies lately..Avery now included. Both Jessica and Kate were pregnant too. Jessica with a baby due at the end of June..her and Glenn's first and Kate with a set of twin girls due in the middle of June. Babies that she had conceived via artificial insemination with Zac's sperm and babies who like Lennon would probably spend time between Kate and Lucy and Zac and Paul.

Thinking of all the upcoming babies Avery smiled again as she let her hand fall to her stomach. Almost excited to have the chance to tell Daryl when she got home because he would have been home by now. Would have just gotten home an hour ago and she only had two hours left here at her own job.

Two hours until she could tell her husband that they had finally made the baby he wanted and while she was excited she was also nervous. Nervous that maybe somehow in the last few hours he had changed his mind without telling her. Which was crazy Avery knew but she was still scared of that possibility.

***

Arriving home after her shift was done, Avery raised an eyebrow when she saw Daryl sitting on their front porch. A can of beer in his hand and as she parked her car and got out she knew in her gut that something was wrong. Something just didn't feel right and so she approached Daryl cautiously, sitting down beside him and the moment she did she had to scrunch up her nose because of the strong aroma of alcohol.

"You're drunk," she stated knowing there was no question. Daryl was drunk and when he turned to look at her. His eyes glassy she knew he couldn't deny it. "You're watching our son and you're fucking plastered," she said as she shook her head feeling a bit of anger going through her because she wasn't sure she cared what was wrong.

It didn't excuse him from being drunk while he was the only one watching Hunter. Because what if he had gotten hurt and Daryl had been too drunk to notice or even care?

Daryl laughed a bitter sounding laugh before taking a long drink out of the can in his hand. "Aren't you damn observant," he muttered out harshly a slur to his words. "How long did it take you to realize it huh?" he asked her and Avery saw a hint of anger in his eyes. "I'm a damn screw up though right? What more would you expect from me."

Avery shook her head at Daryl's words, "I didn't say that," she defended as she felt tears starting to well up in her eyes. This wasn't how she had wanted tonight to go when she got home. Finding Daryl drunk and then them arguing. No she had wanted to tell him she was pregnant.

"You didn't have too," Daryl told her before looking away from her again. "It was in your eyes the moment you realized I was plastered as you put it," he sighed before throwing his now empty can down into the grass. "Didn't even ask me what the fuck was wrong. Just automatically jumped to how awful I was and how I'd fucked up while watching our son."

Taking a deep breath Avery tried to compose herself because she didn't want to argue with Daryl. Not right now. "What's wrong?" she asked him finally. "Why are you drunk?"

"Merle's dead," Daryl blurted out and his voice finally cracked. "The damn bastard was staying with one of his druggie friends and I guess he shot up too much and he was found dead this afternoon. Got a visit at the shop from Sheriff Grimes informing me my brother was found dead and had probably...he'd been dead for a few days. Just fucking left there by the friends who gave him the shit that kept ruining his life," he continued and by the time he had stopped he was sobbing.

Listening to him Avery swore she herself had felt like she had been punched in the gut. Finding out Merle was dead. A man who had his demons and clearly his demons had won in the end when she had hoped. Really fucking hoped he would overcome them one day.

"I'm sorry," Avery whispered as she reached to pull Daryl to her but he just reached out, pushing her away before standing up.

"Don't," Daryl stated as he looked down at her. "Don't need your god damn pity."

"It's not pity," Avery told him before standing up herself as she walked a bit closer to him. "Merle was my brother-in-law and I'm sorry he's gone."

Daryl only laughed as if he didn't believe her words, "You hated him," he muttered out as he got up in her face and again the aroma of the alcohol was strong. Enough to make her want to be sick. "You're probably glad he's gone."

"Daryl.." Avery started as she reached for him again and again when she reached for him he moved to push her away and maybe this time he was too rough because everything that happened after that was a blur almost.

The way that Avery who had been standing on the top step, lost her footing and went tumbling down the remaining stairs. Hitting her head on one of the stairs on her way down.

Hard enough that it knocked her out and everything went black. Though she could faintly hear Daryl's footsteps as he ran down the stairs after her and she could hear the fear in his voice as he tried getting her to wake up but he was too far away and waking up took too much strength.

Strength Avery just didn't have right now.

***

Waking to the beeping of machines, Avery blinked a few times as she looked around. Seeing monitors on one side of her and Daryl wide awake in a chair beside her and as they locked eyes everything seemed to fall into place. Where she was and why.

Merle's death and their argument and how he had went to push her away and she had lost her footing. Tumbling down the stairs.

"You've been out for a day," Daryl spoke before she could even get a word in. "Had a minor concussion from the fall and so they wanted..doctors thought it was best to keep you out for a day. So they could monitor your vitals and your brain activity," he said and as he spoke there was guilt in his voice because of course he blamed himself.

Even when it had been an accident because Avery knew there had been no way he had meant to push her down the stairs. He had just misjudged his own strength especially when drunk.

Avery nodded her head in response before making a face because it kind of hurt to nod. Gave her a bit of a headache.

"They also found this in the pocket of your jeans," Daryl continued in her silence as he pulled out the pregnancy test that Avery had meant to show him the night she had found out about Merle. "Y..you were pregnant?" he asked and Avery caught the way he had used the word were.

As if she no longer was pregnant. As if there was no baby inside of her anymore.

"Were?" Avery asked finally speaking for the first time. Her voice coming out scratchy and hoarse.

Daryl looked away from her and down at the test in his hands, "The fall...you...you landed so hard and...there's...you lost the baby," he admitted and with his words Avery felt tears come to her eyes.

Her mind going to what could have been now that the baby was gone. Just like that. Just taken from her when she had only found out about it.

"I was going to tell you that night," Avery frowned as she slowly moved her hand up to wipe at her eyes. "But then things happened," she sighed as again her mind went back to the news of Merle's death and the argument with Daryl. 

Hearing Daryl laugh bitterly after she had spoken, Avery jumped slightly when Daryl threw the pregnancy test across the room. 

"Daryl," she started but he only shook his head, wordlessly standing from the chair and leaving her room. Not even looking back at her.

Closing her eyes after he had left Avery felt more tears somehow escape down her cheeks and she had a sinking feeling that things were changed in her marriage now. That Merle's death and the argument that had lead to her miscarriage had ruined everything that she and Daryl had spent three years building.


End file.
